The Legacy Of 2144: The Beginning (Part 2)

Chapter 4: The Hooded One (2nd Main Boss)

I couldn't remember the last time I blinked, let alone slept. My hands gripped the wheel of the Jeep so tightly my knuckles were bone-white against the dull black leather. My eyes... burned like fire. Every glance in the rearview mirror was a reminder—bloodshot, hollow, but wide open. I hadn't stopped. Not once. I couldn't. Not until I found her. Yui was out there, somewhere, deep within the Monster Realm. I'd failed to save her once, but not this time. I will find her. I have to."Jack, you alright?" Darquesse asked. Her voice was smooth but laced with concern. She probably saw the state of my eyes in the mirror. "I'm fine," I lied, my voice tight as I forced my gaze back to the endless stretch of road. "You sure about that, dude? You look like a vampire now, with those bloodshot eyes and that pale face. No offence," Zach chimed in, matter-of-factly. I sighed, long and heavy. "I'm anxious, exhausted, and frustrated, Zach. Yui's still out there; every mile feels like I'm no closer to finding her. The sun's gonna rise in a few hours... I just wish there was a motel or something nearby so I could rest for a moment."As if on cue, a flickering red neon sign appeared on the side of the road, glowing faintly in the dark: Ryder's Motel. "Speak of the goddamn devil," I muttered, unable to believe the timing. Turning towards the Motel, I parked the car and headed to the motel. Upon entering the Motel, a man of middle years, with greying hair that he kept short and practical looked up at us, and upon seeing my face, smiled. "Had a rough night?" The man asked. "Yeah, you could say that..." I replied, my voice dripping with exhaustion.

The man chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with a mix of sympathy and amusement. "You're not the first, and you won't be the last. How about a room? It's not much, but it'll keep the monsters at bay for a few hours." I nodded, my throat dry as I fought the urge to collapse right there. "That sounds perfect." He slid a key across the counter, the metal cool against my palm. "Room 3. Just down the hall. Don't worry about the payment; just get some rest. You look like you need it."

"Thanks," I managed, appreciating his kindness more than I could express. Our room was not much. As we entered, I noticed 2 large beds, and a bathroom with blue LED lights, giving it a rather futuristic style. "Huh, not bad..." Justin commented as he nodded in approval at the room. "Yeah, guess so..." I replied. Just as I removed my armour, fatigue kicked in, and unable to control my balance, I fell face-first onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep. The exhaustion hit me like a sledgehammer, pulling me into a heavy, dreamless sleep the moment my head touched the pillow. My mind was blissfully quiet for the first time in what felt like days. No thoughts of Yui, endless stretches of road, or the weight of responsibility. Just silence.
By the time I woke up, I realised it was already noon. The 8 hours of sleep I had felt like it was not efficient. My head ached as though a sledgehammer hammered my brain. I reeked of sweat. Groggily, I got up and headed to the bedroom, but before I could, Darquesse, who woke up earlier than I did, glanced at me. "You look like hell, Jack." She commented in a casual, yet concerned tone. "Sure feels like it. If only I had more time to sleep, damn it..." I groaned in reply, looking at her with groggy eyes. Seeing my messy self, she chuckled. "Go take a bath or something to get refreshed. Can't afford to have an exhausted driver." Her last sentence felt like a playful jab. Giving her a weak smile, I replied: "Yeah, I'll go take a bath, and perhaps go grab a Cappucino afterwards for breakfast." With that, I stepped into the bathroom. Fast-forwarding, I had a cool bath, we drove to a small, cosy cafeteria nearby. The egg benedict that I ordered went well with my cappuccino, and by the end of my breakfast, I was fully energized. "Alright, I'm feeling refreshed. Let's continue to find Yui." With high spirits, we got back into the Jeep, zooming off further through the Futuristic Realm.

The afternoon turned to night after driving for hours. By then, I drunk about 5 monster energy to keep myself awake. "Damn, why does the monster realm feel so far?" I muttered to myself, grumbling from how long we had travelled just to find Yui. Just as I was about to hit the exhilarator to speed up the Jeep, a figure in a black cloak suddenly appeared in front of me, causing me to slam the brakes immediately. "What the?!" I gasped out of shock. Pressing the horn of my Jeep, I tried to make the man budge. Even so, the man just continued to stand in the middle of the dark, foggy street, facing my Jeep. Annoyed, I horned much more aggressively, but still, the man did not budge. Rolling my eyes in annoyance, I rolled down the car window. "HEY! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY, DUMB ASS!" No response. Just the eerie silence of the night pressing in around me. His face was hidden beneath the hood, but I could feel his gaze locked onto me. It was unsettling like his very presence was weighing down the air. Just as I was about to grab my gun to make him move, the man suddenly raised his finger and pointed it at me. "Jack....." My eyes widened as he spoke my name. He KNOWS my name, how is this possible?! "How the hell do you know me?" I replied in a low growl, getting out of my Jeep, now armed with my Nexus Annihilator Laser Rifle that is set to full auto. "Oh, I know many names, Jack Akiyama. I even know how and why you came here..." The man replied, his voice grating against the air like sandpaper, raspy and strained, as though every word scraped painfully from the back of his throat. "If you are here to find your little sister, give it up. She's deep within the Monster Realm, locked up within Deathwhisperer's lair, and I will not allow you to take her back. Turn back, unless you came here to die." Rage flared like fire in my veins, threatening to burn me alive. No one talks about Yui like that."Listen here, you little shit. I don't know who you are, and why you came to stop me, but I am NEVER going to let some asshole like YOU stop me!" I replied in a low, menacing growl, raising my laser rifle and keeping it pointed at the man. The man scoffed underneath his hood. "I was born nameless, but my master dubbed me as  'The Hooded One'. My job is to be a mere messenger, but since you crossed the line, let me just say...I CAN BE YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE." As the man raised his tone, his voice switched to a much deeper and demonic tone. "GOOD! NIGHTMARES MAKE FOR A BETTER MEAL ANYWAY!" I retaliated back, charging up my Nexus Annihilator.